Rating

Overview

Introduction

We all know that LGA1366 X58 motherboards are not new products. They’ve been out for some time now and have proven to have quite a bit of longevity; it’s not Intel’s flagship platform by accident. But X58 boards are, by and large, rather expensive. While the LGA1156 platform is considered more mainstream, the top dog continues to be the full Core i7 lineup.

There are a wide range of boards on the market to suit many preferences and needs. But there aren’t many that specifically cater to the "budget" consumer. Mentioning "budget" and "X58" in the same sentence does seem a bit odd, doesnt’ it? But Gigabyte has a new board that attempts just such a combination.

Priced at about $180 USD, the Gigabyte X58-USB3 is probably the least expensive X58 boards out there that has USB 3.0 included as a feature. There isn’t SATA 6G here unfortunately, but that won’t likely affect many users with a modest budget anyways. In fact, the X58-USB3 looks and handles very much like its higher-priced siblings in the Gigabyte X58 lineup, but for far less money.

As we know, there is a difference between inexpensive and cheap, and in the world of LGA1366, this Gigabyte board is indeed inexpensive, but is it cheap? Read on and let’s find out.

"Gigabyte was founded in 1986 in a small lab by four young engineers passionate to make their mark on the industry. GIGABYTE remains dedicated to the core belief of improving the lives of our users by manufacturing products that are high-performing, reliable, and of excellent quality. GIGABYTE thrives on delivering the latest technology to users around the globe. We develop, test, and manufacture a wide range of products following strict quality and environmental control standards."